Take a look at skateboarding from a new angle, through a new lens, with a fresh perspective. This is the world of women’s skateboarding captured by the women who live it and breathe it.
Issue 3 // 2018
Tessa Fox. Copenhagen 2017. Sarah Huston
Tessa Fox, boneless. Copenhagen 2017. Sarah Huston
Look at us now Words by Sarah Huston, Yeah Girl founder & curator Rewind to 2016 and women’s skateboarding was on the cusp of a transition period. Skaters like Lacey Baker and Lizzie Armanto were raising the bar. Mainstream media was beginning to turn a watchful eye, but it was still up to the ladies to carve their own space in the industry. With a collection of skate photos I’d shot hiding in the dark corners of my hard drive I had begun contemplating how I could put them out into the world. Send them on an almost-direct-route to the trash folder at the big magazines? Post them in the Instagram vortex? There had to be something more. To Instagram’s credit though, it was there that I began discovering other female skate photographers and with a new awareness of the under-appreciated creative talents in women’s skateboarding, Yeah Girl was born. It began on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2016, as a way to shine the spotlight on female skaters and photographers—from the big names to the ones you might not have heard about yet. By the time the 2017 Yeah Girl exhibition came about—this time in Copenhagen, Denmark—the shift was becoming apparent. Nora Vasconcellos had joined the adidas global pro team. Lizzie Armanto had made the cover of Thrasher Magazine and joined Birdhouse. Leticia Bufoni was welcomed to Nike. Meanwhile, on a grassroots level,
skate crews around the globe were gaining traction, launching themselves into the spotlight through social media. Then there was the announcement of skateboarding in the 2020 Olympic games. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the impact this has had—and will have—on the opportunities for female skateboarders. With the Olympics comes a wave of media, more sponsorship deals and higher prize money. Now, here we are in 2018 with the third annual Yeah Girl exhibition in Los Angeles, where skateboarding’s roots run deep. In curating Yeah Girl I have always tried to give a global perspective, with photos from photographers around the world. One of the great things about skateboarding is its ability to break down barriers. It knows no boundaries— not backyard fences nor racial divides. Gracing the walls at this year’s exhibition are photos shot in India, Brazil, South Africa, Cuba, the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark and Cuba. You won’t just see skate tricks; you’ll see passion, curiosity, wonder and creativity. As women’s skateboarding grows it’s important that we maintain the DIY culture that has made it what it is today, and continue to tell our story from the heart, offering an authentic perspective from a grassroots level.
Vitรณria Mendonรงa, ollie. Rio de Janeiro 2017. Anairam de Leon
Anairam de Leon Taking full advantage of Rio de Janeiro’s colorful streetscapes, Anairam’s aesthetic is characterized by warm hues and bright pops of color. A skateboarder for fourteen years and a photographer for seven, Anairam combines these two passions to give visibility to female skaters. Together with the women’s skateboarding collective, Britney’s Crew, she’s on a mission to promote the bond between girls and empower them. What’s the story behind the women’s skate collective, Britney’s Crew? How did it begin? It all started when Rayane Oliveira came to Rio in 2016 and brought her video camera. Thayná had given her the nickname “Britney” because she looked like a character from a comedy show on Brazilian TV.
How would you describe a normal skate session with Britney’s Crew? The sessions with the Britney’s are always the best vibes. It has really become a big skateboarding family and at the sessions you can feel the energy of girls who skate for the fun of it and support and encourage each other.
Ray got the girls back together to film and everything turned out so great that it became a video. At the time of choosing the video’s name, they didn’t think twice—“Britney’s Crew – Hell Trip”. And so, one of the biggest female skate collectives in Brazil was started.
Can we expect a full length Britney’s Crew clip in the future? Well, at the moment we have a lack of equipment but it’s in our heart to make a Britney’s video. I would say yes, we will come out with something in the future, but it’s coming out slowly!
Carolina Romero, Carol Bertrand & Carol Fabbriani. Rio de Janeiro 2018. Anairam de Leon
Britney’s Crew. São Paulo 2017. Anairam de Leon
Vitória Mendonça, f/s crooked grind. Rio de Janeiro 2018. Anairam de Leon
How has the skate scene in Rio de Janeiro changed in the fourteen years you have been skating? When I started skating there weren’t really girls around. I was the only girl, skating with boys. Of course there was a strong generation before mine, including Luciana Ellington and other girls that did a lot for the scene at the time. When I started skating, Luciana was in America with Check It Out Magazine and the other girls disappeared, I guess. But I see the female scene getting so big now, so many girls are skating and they’re killing it! And now I feel that the girls are doing more by themselves. I mean, they’re not waiting for things to happen, girls are making it happen! And this is so empowering!
What do you photograph when you’re not shooting skate photos? I also like to shoot street style and lifestyle photos. Brazil has produced so many great skaters. Is it something in the water? What makes Brazilians so good on a board? Yes, it’s the magical water from the Amazon Rainforest! Haha, just kidding. No, what really happens, in my opinion, is that in Brazil, we don’t have so many perfect skate spots. Usually the floor is bad, or cracked, and the same happens with the skate parks, so skaters need to be persistent and creative to skate here.
Zorah Olivia To put it simply, Zorah is killing it when it comes to skate photography. Between various exhibitions, including her own solo show, “Royal Blood,” Zorah has been busy behind the lens, pushing her photography to the next level. Taking full advantage of living in Los Angeles, Zorah has shot with some of the best skaters and has helped to carve out a place for female photographers in the skate industry. Why did you decide to travel to London last year and document the women’s skate scene over there? My family all pretty much come from England; my great grandmother was an immigrant from Liverpool. I was really curious to meet the women in the skateboard community there; I met everyone that I photographed through Instagram! I love all of the ladies I met and hung out with in London, I feel like I have a new family there.
Having photos published in Thrasher is a career goal for many skate photographers. Now that you’ve ticked that off, what’s next on your list? Making the cover of Thrasher! How do you think you’ve progressed with your photography in the last year? I’ve been practicing using flash for every shoot lately—action and portrait work. It’s important to experiment with camera angles and the direction of the flash.
Mariah Duran, tre flip. Long Beach CA 2017. Zorah Olivia
Rianne Evans, pole jam. Brighton UK 2017. Zorah Olivia
Hannah Tallman, nollie flip. Manhattan Beach CA 2017. Zorah Olivia
What or who inspires your photography? Sally Mann and Annie Leibovitz. Judging by the Hasselblad tattoo on your arm, you’re a big fan of the camera. What makes it so special to you? It was my dad’s favorite camera to shoot with. It was given to me when he passed 4 years ago. The tattoo on my arm is an illustration from a card he gave me. What advice would you give to other women who want to shoot skate photos? Make a goal for yourself to shoot at least one photo a day, even if it’s not skate related. Don’t be
afraid to be vulnerable and approach skaters at the skate park. More often than not, they’ll be stoked that someone wants to shoot a photo of them! If you want it bad enough, you’ll make it happen. Are there any exciting things on the horizon for you? I was recently invited back to Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania as a Digital Media VIP! I’ll be teaching photography to the photo campers during Girls Week in August. Other than that, I’m heading back to X Games in Minneapolis to shoot and I’m working on an ongoing project with The Worble for Thrasher.
Louisa Menke Following her part in the 2002 Dutch skate video “Visualised,” and three consecutive wins in skate competitions, Louisa became the first European woman with a pro model board. The DutchAlgerian skateboarder now lives in Barcelona where she works as an English teacher and an artist. Skateboarding remains one of her biggest inspirations in life. How did you first get into photography? Hmm. When I won my first European contest back in 2001, I bought a digital pocket camera with the prize money. With that camera I started documenting all the parties I went to and shared them on a website named partygirlproductions.tk. I did that for about 5 years but I wasn’t thinking about photography at all. The camera was just a tool to document all the fun that we would forget about the next day. At some point my friend Marcel Veldman helped me order a Yashica T5 on eBay and this is when I really got into it. Thanks Marcel.
Do you look at skateboarding differently now, compared to when you skated professionally? Yes, I like it even more.
Why do you choose to shoot photos of skaters but not “skate photos”? It’s not that I choose to shoot photos of skaters but they come along because skateboarding is a big part of me. I’ve never really been interested in shooting photos of tricks but I like to film them.
You were also part of the documentary “Get Used To It”. How did that opportunity come about and what did it involve? Blam Studio asked me to co-star in their documentary about women’s empowerment, skateboarding and Skateistan, based in Johannesburg. This
Your photos in the Yeah Girl exhibition are from a zine you recently created. What’s the story behind that? The photos are from the second zine we made with Forgotten Fanclubs, a zine platform my friend Petra Valdimarsdottir and I made to make limited edition zines. The zine is called “Colorful hearts filled with rhythm and rainbows, no one can dance the way you do”. It’s a Johannesburg experience.
[Untitled]. Johannesburg 2016. Louisa Menke
[Untitled]. Johannesburg 2016. Louisa Menke
is how my zine came along. The documentary involved me skateboarding with the locals and talking about being a skateboarder/ artist. It was an amazing time.
What is the best photography advice you’ve ever been given? When I was young my grandfather explained to me about compositions and I will always remember that.
As someone who shoots entirely on film, what are your thoughts on digital platforms like Instagram? I like film because you can touch it and develop it etc. It’s like cooking. Digital is different; you can never really touch it. It’s like when you look at yourself in the mirror, you can’t get in but you can look. Instagram reminds me of that. It’s interesting but strange.
If you were hosting a fancy dinner party, which three skateboarders would you invite and why? Patty McGee because she’s a legend and I would love to meet her. Ed Templeton because his photos inspire me and I would love to meet him too. Javier Sarmiento because I think he would look really nice in a suit.
EMPOWERING CHILDREN AND YOUTH THROUGH S K AT E B O A R D I N G A N D E D U C AT I O N Support children in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa at
S K AT E I S TA N. O R G
Adelaide Norris, b/s noseslide. Melbourne 2017. Nao Oka
Nao Oka Nao considers herself a street photographer more than a skate photographer—it just so happens that the streets she roams are full of skateboarders. After moving to Australia from her hometown in Wakayama, Japan, Nao found herself skating the streets of Melbourne with DNL crew. Her self-published photo zine, “Now”, documents the in-between moments of fun with her new skate family. Where in the world are you currently and where to next? I’m currently in New Zealand. My next place is Australia to live and skate with DNL again. I would also like to travel to Canada, US and Mexico to take some photos.
Five days after I made it to Australia, I broke my femur skateboarding. I was so frustrated to have to go back to Japan for two months to heal my leg. However that made me resolute to skate and even to live in Australia.
Why did you decide to move from Japan to Australia? I always wanted to live in another country and to be surrounded by a different culture. I was deciding between Australia and Canada. I picked Australia because of the warm weather and I found out one of my relatives lived in Perth.
How did you meet DNL crew? DNL crew didn’t exist when I met Tobi and Estelle. We started hanging out for a skate every Sunday and more girls began to gather. Tobi and Estelle named the group DNL (the abbreviation of Did Not Land). So I was lucky to be one of them from the start.
Mia Wilson. Melbourne 2017. Nao Oka
What inspired you to create Now Zine? Most of my inspiration was initially from another local skater in Melbourne. I often went to Hemley Skate Shop and saw the their zine there. One of my friends saw my photos and came up with the idea that I should make a zine using them. All the photos are showing the moment “now”. And by putting “Now” as the title, everyone would recognize who took the photos in the zine—“Now” comes from my name, Nao. Every time I explain how to pronounce my name to someone in English, I always tell them it’s pronounced like “now”. What camera do you shoot with? I shoot with an Olympus OM1-n. Do you shoot entirely on film? Why? Yes, because I just couldn’t afford to buy a digital
camera! So I bought the Olympus camera and started using it and I found it so fun and simple to use. Is there something in particular that you aim to capture in your photos? I had been taking street photos to capture moments in the present or “now” that people may have seen before but not paid attention to. These normal moments might usually seem boring so I hope people might see them in a new way. When I began skateboarding, I noticed that the moments spent doing tricks and hanging out were special. The moments seem normal because it’s our life. We don’t stop to notice how cool it is. The photos capture these moments for us and show how skateboarding brings people together as a community. This is important for us as skateboarders and for other people to understand our community.
Mia Wilson & Charlotte Frimpong. Melbourne 2017. Nao Oka
Hannah Bailey As a writer and an award-winning photographer, Hannah works hard to create media coverage opportunities for female skateboarders. She founded the action sports communications agency, Neon Stash, and has applied her expertize in her work with Skateistan. Born in Edinburgh but living around Europe, home is wherever her camera takes her. You have traveled to Afghanistan in your work with Skateistan. What was that experience like? It was an incredible experience to be there and see the little girls skating. I will never forget that. The places Skateistan exist in are really hard places for people, in particular girls, to live. Kabul is an unsettling place, but in the safe space that is Skateistan’s Skate School kids are getting to be kids. They are smiling, playing and having fun. We take that for granted! Going to Afghanistan was definitely a perspective shift in my life. What was your most memorable moment during your time working with Skateistan? There were so many incredible moments working for Skateistan. In my 2.5 years there I managed the launch of two Skate Schools
(Johannesburg and Phnom Penh) where we hosted events with local kids and supporters from around the world. Tony Hawk and the Birdhouse crew came to South Africa. Mimi Knoop and Sky Brown came to Cambodia. But I’d actually say the real highlights were simply seeing the kids having fun in countries which are not so fun to live in. Skating with the Back-to-School students in Mazar (Afghanistan) and celebrating women’s day in Johannesburg with about 40 little skaters. Later this summer a documentary that I have been wanting to make for about 3 years, about the women and girls skating over there, will come to light. We filmed it during the launch of the Skate School in February, and it’s really a dream come true to get to show this story to the world!
Helena Long. London 2017. Hannah Bailey
Stefani Nurding, b/s carve. Copenhagen 2014. Hannah Bailey
Where does the name “Neon Stash” come from? When I started out in the snowboard world, it was at a time when it was all about wearing clashing bright colors on the mountain. I moved to London and noticed how much people wore gray (suits) and how it made me feel to dress brightly. It was a conversation starter with strangers, and I always felt it brightened people’s day.
worldwide so it’s great to use my experience with Skateistan, support the wider skate-fordevelopment scene and push it out to as many eyes to see the good skateboarding can do for the world!
So when it came to a name for my communications agency, “Neon Stash” was already there in my mind. “Neon,” bright and engaging. “Stash,” a collection of these bright things.
What’s your involvement with Lomography? When I first got playful with photography back in 2011 to capture the outdoors and women’s sport, I would only shoot on little 35mm cameras including Lomo equipment. I got in touch with them in 2012 and pitched an idea to cover Go Skateboarding Day through a 6 part series on the skate scene in the UK, from the beginners to pro, crews to rad dads.
What would be a dream project to work on with Neon Stash? We have a dream project coming up, helping out with the media and comms for the skateboarding and academia conference, Pushing Boarders (at House of Vans London in June). It’s an event which is showing the social impact of skateboarding
Ever since then they have supported my photography, including putting on my first solo exhibition in 2016 called “Skate Stories.” They gave me the Lomography Soho London store for 8 weeks to display my photo stories of skaters and give a face to female skating through it.
Stefani Nurding. Copenhagen 2014. Hannah Bailey
What inspires all your experiments with film photography? I love the unpredictability of film photography and that the control is often out of your hands. You never know what you are going to get, but often the flawed shots can be the best. It makes me feel good to be creative and photography is that outlet for me. As someone who has been working in skate media, where do you see women’s skateboarding in five years? The past few years the mainstream media have been more open to covering women’s skate. Where before I would be pitching to platforms, now they are coming out with the content themselves. But more excitingly is the increase in core outlets for skate— from Skateism, to Quell—I am always spotting new DIY or core skate media who really do the content justice. Over the next 5 years I think the opportunities for women’s skate in a media and content perspective will just grow, with the spotlight on it up until 2024 and beyond.
How important do you think it is that there are female photographers in the skate industry? There’s a direct correlation between photos of women skating, the amount of coverage these women receive, and the number of girls who take up skating. It is only natural that more female photographers mean more female skate content, so I think that it’s really important! These photographers featured in Yeah Girl are also showing it as a viable path for a girl to take up documenting skating. If you could photograph and interview any skater, who would it be? I have been really lucky to interview many of the world’s best skaters and women in the industry over the years—from Leticia Bufoni and Lacey Baker to Elissa Steamer. Right now I’d love to chat with Kristin Ebeling (Skate Like A Girl) and return to the UK scene to capture the skaters where I first started. Lucy Adams, Helena Long, and Amy Ram...
Kathleen Hayes Kathleen was given her first camera at five years old—it was a plastic Bugs Bunny 126 film camera—and has been shooting photos ever since. Inspired by punk rock, the sea, the LGBT community and skate culture, the New York based photographer captures the good times at women’s skate gatherings that bring together ladies of shred at perfect backyard bowls and DIYs. What’s the story behind Slash Camp? How did it start and what makes it such a special event? Slash Camp was started a few years ago by Ashley Mott of Bad Egg Skate Zine. It’s an awesome gathering of like-minded and amazing ladies from all over the country and beyond, who share a love for skateboarding. Some of the women even flew out from Canada and Australia. Lots of badass skate moms too. It’s all levels, but most are seasoned rippers. The trip I went on was in the outskirts of Denver. We hit up a bunch of public parks and backyards, caravanning all around the area. A lot of the girls camped along the way and we also built a DIY skate obstacle at one of the homes we skated at. Do you have any particularly funny or memorable stories from Slash Camp? The funniest story I have is actually from The SESH, our East Coast ladies trip in the Carolinas last summer organized by Shannon Smith and Tamra Church. The drunken sharing of c-section scars around 2am at the
Skate Barn, initiated by Chelsea Greene, was pretty hilarious. While I was outnumbered by skater ladies who had given birth, I was stoked to be able to participate in the bikinicut-scar show-and-tell with my own surgical scar from an ovarian cyst. That was some major female bonding. What is your background in photography? I got my BFA in photography from SVA in 1997 when it was all film and darkroom based. I recently entered the digital age and got a masters degree in digital photography a few years ago where I documented middleaged skate culture for my thesis project. Do you think being a skateboarder has influenced your overall photographic style? Definitely! The best things to photograph are things you’re obsessed with. I love documenting my skateboarding world and the friends I’ve made who inhabit it. Photography also fills the void when I’m injured and can’t skate. Sometimes I even
Jean Rusen, f/s indy grab. Fairplay CO 2016. Kathleen Hayes
Skate Camper. Fairplay CO 2016. Kathleen Hayes
look forward to a bowl being too gnarly for me, or a session being heavier than I can handle, because then I get to shoot photos without having to choose between taking pictures and skating. What do you think makes the East Coast skate scene so special? My favorite thing about skating on the East Coast is the time spent in my friend’s backyards. Especially in New England. Cookouts and skating with the 5.9 crew is the most special to me. In terms of women’s skateboarding, do you think there’s a difference between the East and West Coast scenes? On the West Coast tons of females spanning all ages and generations skate. The weather’s great year round, they have more places to skate, and more opportunities to skate consistently and advance their skills. It also seems a lot more competitive. The East Coast is more mellow. Many of us lady skaters are still the minority at a spot. However, the population of girls in their 20s skating on the East Coast is booming. Especially here in NYC. It’s exciting to watch the comradery and progression of these young female rippers and the size of their skate crews growing. Female skaters my age are still a rare breed though. We’re more spread out all over the East Coast. Some of us are lucky to have a couple women our age in our areas. Many of us have to make road trips to skate with each other. That’s why I’m grateful for women’s trips like Slash Camp and our East Coast SESH from last summer, which bring the ladies together from all over.
Margaret Cutter, b/s carve grind. Fairplay CO 2016. Kathleen Hayes
Norma Ibarra You might recognize Norma from her rap cameo in the Skate Witches “Srsly” video or her starring role in Alana Paterson’s “Slam By Me” film. A woman of many talents (clearly), Norma also holds it down behind the lens. In 2009 Norma moved from her hometown in Mexico to Vancouver, Canada, and has spent time on the road documenting the struggling, yet passionate, skate scenes in places like Cuba and India. What came first for you, skateboarding or photography? And how did the two come together? Photography has always been part of my life. My mom used to shoot and she gave me her camera when I was 15, so I was always the one taking photos of my friends. I have a thing for documenting my friends and the memories we share together so when I started skateboarding, I started shooting my new skateboarding friends. At some point I noticed that not many people documented the girls so I made that a little personal project. I love street and travel photography but right now I really want to document skateboarding. I think we are in a very interesting time for women but also for the whole scene, with it being considered a sport. In the future I want to be able to have a little archive so people can look back and say, “Remember when...” and so that all of my friends can look back and have timeless memories.
You were part of the Girls Skate India Tour this year. What was the highlight of the trip? For me, it was living with an Indian family and learning about their culture, the food, the language, and all the times shared with them. At the time I was coming back from an injury so I was not able to skate, but meeting the other skaters that came on that trip and sharing all the memories together is something I will keep in my heart forever. Planting the seed of skateboarding to young girls was super touching as well. I am planning to go back to visit my new Indian family and can’t wait to skate the spots we visited. You’ve spent a lot of time skating and shooting in poverty stricken areas. What impact do you think skateboarding has in these places? Besides skateboarding being such a fun activity, the inclusivity of it has a lot of impact. It doesn’t matter who you are,
Marie Dabbadie. Janwaar 2018. Norma Ibarra
Helena Long, f/s smith. Mahabs 2018. Norma Ibarra
where you’re from or what you do for a living, we all share the same feeling when we ride our skateboards. I believe it teaches them to appreciate diversity and have a more open mind. I also think that skateboarding can be used as a tool for these communities to see challenges in a different way, to learn that if we keep working hard we can progress, and that united and supporting each other we can grow and reach our goals. What was it like discovering and skating with an entire crew of girl skaters in Cuba— a place where the locals rely on donations to keep the skate scene alive? I love Cuba, it’s
hard to explain but it’s a magical place. It took me a while to understand how things work there but after four visits I think I have a good idea. Unfortunately it’s a struggle for everyone there to have a decent skateboard and shoes but thanks to organizations like Cuba Skate and Amigo Skate Cuba, the skaters there can have a board. The problem is that we also need to educate and support the skaters so they can learn how to be sustainable and not rely on things coming from outside. As for the girls, I hope that one day a bunch of female skaters can go there and inspire all the girls so they can progress faster. I hope one day things for Cuban skateboarders and
Atita Verghese, Janwaar 2018. Norma Ibarra
the whole country are better but for now we should keep helping and educating until we reach the ultimate goal.
that. Skate Witches Records, Audge and I are working on something for the future but it’s still a work in progress. Stay tuned!
What new places would you like to travel to and shoot skate photos? I really want to spend a big amount of time in Mexico, my home country. I want to give back to the community there. I also have a dream to visit Europe. I hope I can make it there soon!
Do you have a favorite skater to shoot with? This question is like when someone asks you what is the best camera. The best camera is the one you have. The favorite skater is the one you get to shoot with. Hahaha!
On a different note... Your rap cameo in the Skate Witches film “Srsly” was seriously good. Can we expect to hear more from MC Lapir0? Thank you! I had a blast producing
I love people and everyone has a story and a talent to share. I love shooting with the Skate Witches but you know, everyone can be a Skate Witch, no?
PHOTOGRAPHERS Sarah Huston (AUS) Anairam de Leon (BRA) Zorah Olivia (USA) Louisa Menke (NLD) Nao Oka (JPN) Hannah Bailey (GBR) Kathleen Hayes (USA) Norma Ibarra (MEX)
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
Produced for Yeah Girl LA 2018 Design & interviews by Sarah Huston yeahgirl.com.au Copyright is reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.
